Shelley Short
A Cave, A Canoo (HUSH Records)

A native and current resident of Portland, Oregon, songwriter and singer Shelley Short grew up among characters and artists in a wood-heated home stocked with books, records, and well-cooked meals. As Short recounts:

“It was like growing up in a time machine; in some ways we lived like it was 1896, chopping wood, growing our own food, wearing eclectic clothes in a Victorian home and singing our own songs. Other times it seemed like we were living in 1955, driving around Cadillacs and Hudsons and listening to Johnnie Ray, Lester Young, and The Flamingos. And yet it all felt like growing up in a movie made in 1963, full of these big personalities. As a kid I grew up so accustomed to falling asleep to the sound of talk and laughter that, when I moved out, the silence got to me.”

Among those to trot through her childhood home was Jim Pepper, the tenor sax player (whose "You're no Bunny Till Some Bunny Loves You" was written for Short) and Danny O’Keefe, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter.

These characters, the environment Short was raised in and the many personalities she’s met throughout her time away from Portland, living in Chicago, and touring the country, have played a huge role in Short’s music and creativity. After her three lovely years in Chicago, Short spent time on the road opening for M. Ward and Loudon Wainwright III (with Nate Query of The Decemberists on upright bass), as well as friends Whispertown 2000, Tom Brosseau, Alexis Gideon and Laura Gibson. While in Portland, she keeps busy singing on her friends' records. Recently, she has been invited to sing harmonies and choruses on records by Tom Brosseau, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Laura Gibson, Carcrashlander, Alexis Gideon and Norfolk and Western. She recently completed a tour in a trio with Tom Brosseau and Ethan Rose in support of Tom’s new record.

A Cave, A Canoo will mark Short’s third release on Hush Records. Captain Wild Horse (rides the heart of tomorrow) was released in Chicago in 2006, Water For The Day in 2008.

A Cave, A Canoo was produced by Short and Alexis Gideon and was recorded at Liophant Studios by Alexis Gideon, with some finishing touches done by Adam Selzer at Type Foundry Studios. The album was written and recorded over the period of a year, and its depth of sound reflects the wealth of time spent in its making. There was little to no pressure -- be it financial or emotional -- in its composition, allowing Short to focus her attention on the detail and nuance in each song. As a whole, the record is crafted with an interwoven, almost circular, approach, allowing the songs to slowly stretch out and find their home. Some songs took weeks to mull over and define while others represent first takes, captured at two in the morning.

“I was able to assemble and record the songs like writing a short story on a chalk board with a big eraser in hand, or like making a collage without using glue until the very end."

While defined throughout by Short's warmth and clarity, A Cave, a Canoo is a collaborative affair. The album's diverse and imaginative musicians include longtime-friend Rachel Blumberg (The Decemberists, M. Ward, Norfolk and Western), legendary upright bass player Glen Moore (Oregon, Nancy King), and electric guitar virtuoso Alexis Gideon (Princess, White Hinterland).

In creating its sound, A Cave, A Canoo was, in some ways, inspired by Melanie Safka, Ron Davies, Jake Thackray, Kris Kristofferson, Nino Rota, and David Lynch.

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